Blackfire Paint Coating - What did I do wrong???

[PS90]

Unfortunately, I am new to these paint coatings, and I decided to try the Blackfire Crystal Paint Coating on my black Dodge Ram. It ended-up looking TERRIBLE.

I did everything right - washed, "clayed" with a Nanoskin mitt (which works AWESOME, BTW), polished with Wolfgang Polish, then finally sprayed the whole thing off with Blackfire Paint Prep.

The coating went on pretty nicely with a Lake Country Applicator, but I noticed that it started to seize-up within about 20 seconds (I did it in a garage, it was about 70 degrees F outside), and by the time that I attempted to level it out - as in the video with the blue Fusion that everyone has watched - it was completely streaked!

I have noticed that it looks perfect on my headlights and trim, but pretty much every bit of it on the black paint looks like crap.

I think I may have used too much product, and I hope that it will still be good protection, but it certainly looks BAD right now. I attempted to buff it off with a MF towel, but after one small section, I was quickly tired of that.

What could I have done wrong??? Again, I'm betting I used a little too much of the coating, but aren't these things supposed to be easy enough for anyone to do these days? I wouldn't call this stuff "user-friendly" for an amateur, if using slightly too much completely ruins the final results...

I am going to use Wolfgang Uber on my other truck. Or, I WAS going to use it. Is Uber different/better than Blackfire? Or should I just give up on the coatings and use Wolfgang Sealant?

Thanks for any help!

[The Guz]

You are not the first person to complain about these issues regarding Blackfire. There is a thread on here stating that.

Uber seems be more user friendly from those that have used it. Pinnacle Black Label V2 is very easy to use as well.

[Setec Astronomy]

What could I have done wrong??? Again, I'm betting I used a little too much of the coating, but aren't these things supposed to be easy enough for anyone to do these days? I wouldn't call this stuff "user-friendly" for an amateur, if using slightly too much completely ruins the final results...

Although some coatings have gotten more "user friendly", coating application is still an advanced technique, and as The Guz noted, Blackfire appears to be one of the more difficult consumer coatings (I haven't used it).

I always used to recommend people use a WOWA sealant (like Blackfire Crystal Seal, Opti-Seal, Ultima Paint Guard Plus, Wolfgang Deep Gloss Liquid Seal, etc.) at least a few times to get the idea before they graduate to a coating.

[Cabrio]

There have been members reporting streaks after using BF coating. However, they all reported that after the first wash (maybe two...), the streaks went away.

[PS90]

You are not the first person to complain about these issues regarding Blackfire. There is a thread on here stating that.

Uber seems be more user friendly from those that have used it. Pinnacle Black Label V2 is very easy to use as well.

Thanks for the input. If that's the case, maybe it's not just because I'm an idiot. Not that I'm not an idiot...

Although some coatings have gotten more "user friendly", coating application is still an advanced technique, and as The Guz noted, Blackfire appears to be one of the more difficult consumer coatings (I haven't used it).

I always used to recommend people use a WOWA sealant (like Blackfire Crystal Seal, Opti-Seal, Ultima Paint Guard Plus, Wolfgang Deep Gloss Liquid Seal, etc.) at least a few times to get the idea before they graduate to a coating.

Thanks for the reply. I've used lots of waxes and sealants before, from cheap crap like NuFinish to Wolfgang to Klasse. Never had an issue like this before.

There have been members reporting streaks after using BF coating. However, they all reported that after the first wash (maybe two...), the streaks went away.

Thanks. I hope you're right!!! Does that mean that the coating is evening-out, or is the coating wearing off that quickly?

[Setec Astronomy]

Thanks for the reply. I've used lots of waxes and sealants before, from cheap crap like NuFinish to Wolfgang to Klasse. Never had an issue like this before.

Yes, but have you used a WOWA (Wipe On, Walk Away) sealant like the ones I mentioned? The application and behavior of a WOWA sealant is similar to a coating (but more forgiving). So you are able to get used to "flashing", "high spots" etc.

[PS90]

Yes, but have you used a WOWA (Wipe On, Walk Away) sealant like the ones I mentioned? The application and behavior of a WOWA sealant is similar to a coating (but more forgiving). So you are able to get used to "flashing", "high spots" etc.

Oh, sorry. Maybe I haven't. Is the "WOWA" from Wolfgang something other than their Deep Gloss Paint Sealant? I haven't done a technique similar to the paint coatings before. Maybe I will take your advice and try one, then. Thanks.

[Setec Astronomy]

Is the "WOWA" from Wolfgang something other than their Deep Gloss Paint Sealant?

Yes, as I noted, it's the Deep Gloss Liquid Seal:

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Liquid Seal, paint sealant

[Desertnate]

Yes, as I noted, it's the Deep Gloss Liquid Seal:

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Liquid Seal, paint sealant

Pardon the brief hijack: I had no idea Wolfgang had a WOWA product like Crystal Seal until I looked this up today after hearing multiple mention over the last few days. Initially, I thought this was a new product and I had some how missed the debut. A little research led to a review from 2012! Sigh...more reading and product research now...

Back on topic: I really like the recommendation to practice on a WOWA to get a feel for a coating. I probably should have gone that way before my own Blackfire Coating misadventure.

[Cabrio]

Great question regarding..why does washing make the streaks go away....I don't know the definitive answer but if these streaks are truly high spots, then it could be excess product that hasn't bonded to the car......?